The third player in the history of Golden Gopher hockey got his name inscribed on the base of the Hobey Baker Award on March 29, 1996, in Cincinnati, Ohio, when Brian Bonin earned the award he had barely missed out on the previous year. The White Bear Lake, Minn., native led the nation in scoring his senior campaign, and was named a first-team All-American, WCHA Player of the Year, first-team All-WCHA, and team Most Valuable Player in both his junior and senior seasons. Bonin, who became just the second Golden Gopher in the last 11 years to score 80-plus points in a season, also ripped off a 20-game consecutive scoring streak, which extended from the end of his junior season through part of his senior year.

In the course of Bonin's four-year career, the Maroon and Gold made two NCAA final four appearances while compiling a winning percentage of .660 (105-50 -17) and winning three WCHA Playoff Championships. Bonin was named to the WCHA All-Academic team three times as he pursued his degree in chemistry. A draftee of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, Bonin is currently playing professionally in Europe, after spending time with the Minnesota Wild. Bonin started his professional career with Cleveland of the International Hockey League in 1996.